Causes of amenorrhea

The Classical View of Causes

Classical Ayurveda names this Anartava / Nashta-artava (lost menstruation) and Artava-kshaya (menstrual depletion), attributing it chiefly to Vata (the moving force - blocked or dried up) obstructing or depleting the Artava channels, often with Kapha blocking (as in the classical description matching PCOS-like pictures). The nidana lists read modern: excessive exercise and physical strain, dry/rough/insufficient food, chronic worry and grief, and depletion after illness.

Interpretive framing: the texts could not test hormones. But their causal instincts - body weight, exertion, nutrition, stress - are exactly the modern functional causes. Hormone testing does the naming; the classical frame does the noticing.

Frequently Asked Questions

I missed one period - is that amenorrhea? Not medically - one late or missed period is common and often stress-related. Three months absent (or never starting by 15) is the definition that needs evaluation.

Can stress alone stop periods? Yes - significant stress suppresses the brain signals that drive ovulation. Periods typically return when the stress resolves.

Can exercise stop periods? Intense training with low body fat can - ballet dancers and athletes classically. It signals the body is under-fuelled, and bone health pays the price.

Does amenorrhea mean infertility? Not necessarily - many causes are reversible (thyroid, weight, stress). But absent ovulation means no conception while it lasts, so evaluate early if pregnancy is the goal.